


Not Your Fault

by AbschaumNo1



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Pep Talk, Stromer needs a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-21 12:37:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17043878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbschaumNo1/pseuds/AbschaumNo1
Summary: After the game Alex lets Dylan stew.





	Not Your Fault

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I saw that Dylan was feeling guilty about Crow's concussion when I woke up this morning and that just didn't fly, so I invested a whooping two hours of my day into writing this.

After the game Alex lets Dylan stew. He knows him long enough to know that he's feeling guilty and that right now nothing Alex can say will make him stop. It sucks, because all Alex wants to do is make thinks better, but it is what it is.  
Dylan is silent on the way home, and when they have to stop at a traffic light Alex reaches over without looking and plucks his phone from his hands. It's enough if Dylan beats himself up, he doesn't, he doesn't need to see whatever shit people are spouting on Twitter. Dylan makes a sound as if to protest, but Alex reaches over again to squeeze his thigh, and he doesn't say anything.  
They get home, they go to bed. Dylan burrows into Alex, who wraps an arm tightly around him.  
“I didn't want to hurt him,” Dylan says, face hidden against Alex's chest. “You know that right?”  
“I know,” Alex says. “We all know.”  
Dylan releases a breath and relaxes a little, and Alex closes his eyes. He's tired and he hopes Dylan will get that none of this is his fault when he wakes up in the morning.

Connor calls them when they're having breakfast. Or well, Connor calls Alex during breakfast to find out if Dylan needs a pep talk, because whatever happens they're best friends and Connor is a mother hen like that.  
“How's he feeling?” Connor asks.  
Alex looks over at Dylan, who's been uncharacteristically silent this morning. “Same as yesterday,” he says, because he knows Connor will get it. “Want me to put you on speaker?”  
“Yes, please.”  
He switches the call to speaker and puts the phone down between them on the breakfast bar.  
“Hey Stromer,” Connor says, and Dylan looks up in surprise as if he hasn't even realised that Alex was on the phone.  
“Hey David,” he says gloomily. “I guess you heard, eh?”  
“I saw it after the game last night.”  
“I didn't want to hurt him.”  
Connor sighs. “I know,” he says. “Everyone knows. No one thinks it's your fault.”  
“But-”  
“No, you stop that right now. You didn't do anything wrong. You just made the defensive play. It's Kane who did this shit, not you. He fucking pushed you into Crawford and he risked Couture doing it. If anyone should feel guilty, it's him.”  
“Davo's right,” Alex says. “We all saw it. You did what any of us would have done. If that piece of shit pushes you that's not on you.”  
Dylan releases a long breath. “Okay. I'll...It's gonna take a while, but I'll try to remember that.”  
“Good,” Connor says, while Alex gives Dylan a soft smile. “Want me to get Looch to beat him up when we play them next week?”  
Dylan snorts, and he's about to reply when they both hear someone in the background ask, “Who am I beating up, babe?”  
Dylan and Alex exchange a look, while another voice replies, “Evander Kane.”  
There's some more sounds in the background, and Alex is fairly sure he hears the words ‘back to bed’. Connor says, “Uhm,” and Dylan starts grinning.  
“Got anything to tell us, Davo?” He asks.  
Connor groans. “That's not how I wanted to do this,” he says. “Just...forget you ever heard that and we do this again another time?”  
“I don't know,” Dylan drawls. “I'm not sure I want to forget that.”  
“Listen. It's… it's a thing and we're still kinda figuring it out and that's why I didn't tell you.”  
Dylan is already opening his mouth to reply, but Alex quickly says, “It's okay, Davo. You tell us when you're ready. We can wait.” Dylan pouts at him, but Alex raises an eyebrow.  
“Thanks Brinksy.”  
“Go back to whatever you were doing. I'll handle Dylan.”  
“Yeah. I'll go do that.”  
“Thanks for calling,” Dylan calls before Alex hangs up and turns towards him.  
“Not a word,” he warns Dylan.  
“But babe. He's banging both of them. I've been waiting for this forever.”  
“I know. You've told me.” Alex has to suppress a wry smile. “But if he's not ready to tell us yet, we gotta accept that.”  
Dylan sighs dramatically. “Alright. I promise I won't be sending him any weird comments.”  
“Good,” Alex says, as he turns back to his breakfast. “Now eat up. The guys are coming over soon.”

By the time the guys turn up, Dylan is in a good mood again. It's probably just because of the phone call with Davo, not because he has accepted that Crow's concussion is not his fault, but Alex will take it.  
Jonny raises an eyebrow at Alex when he and Kaner come in and Dylan is smiling at the dog in his lap, with Hayds already leaning into his side.  
“Told you, he'd bounce back,” Alex says with a shrug, but before Jonny can answer he has to go and let Kuni, Duncs and Seabs in.  
Maybe Dylan isn't quite over his guilt, but Alex can hear him happily tell Jonny and Kaner that they absolutely can't be sitting on his free side because that's where Alex needs to go, because Otters hold hands when they're sleeping, and he's sure they'll get him there. And hopefully Crow will be able to tell him to stop feeling guilty himself soon.

 


End file.
